The atmosphere was already combustible. However, the first to arrive on the scene weren't the Student Council or the Disciplinary Committee, but the Club Federation's executive members, who had been conducting their own independent patrols.
"Robot Research! Bicycle Club! Both of you, stand down!"
Shoving his way into the center of the fray was Hagane Tomitsuka, a second-year executive member. Right on his heels was the Federation's newest trainee, Takuma Shippou.
Having accepted Hattori's invitation with an unbridled freshman enthusiasm, Takuma had been assigned as Hagane's assistant. His very first task was now unfolding: mediating a dispute between two unruly clubs.
With a surge of momentum, Takuma managed to usher Kento out of the center of the huddle. A moment later, a step behind Hagane, Tatsuya and Miyuki arrived.
"Kento? Is that you?"
"Ah! Shiba-senpai!"
Kento turned toward Tatsuya with a look of pure relief. It was a rare sight—a male student focusing entirely on Tatsuya while the breathtaking Miyuki stood right beside him. Tatsuya felt a faint prickle of awkwardness under Miyuki's curious gaze, but he pushed it aside to address the boy.
"What happened here?"
"Ah, well... I'm sorry, Senpai! I haven't decided on a club yet, so I was just planning to observe today. They said I could hear more details inside, so I tried to enter the garage, but then suddenly, from behind..."
Kento was clearly shaken; his explanation was a disjointed mess. Even so, Tatsuya managed to piece together the gist of the situation. But before he could take a step to resolve it, the situation shifted into a new, more volatile phase.
"Disciplinary Committee! Stand back!"
"Oh? It's Kasumi-chan, Brother."
"I see..."
Tatsuya heard the familiar voice cut through the noise from the far side of the crowd. It was a sharp, commanding cry that rose above the shouting club members and Hagane's desperate attempts at mediation.
Tatsuya tried to avoid looking toward the source of the shout, but it was a futile effort. He didn't need Miyuki to point it out; he knew perfectly well that the person claiming the authority of the Disciplinary Committee was Kasumi Saegusa.
"Kento."
Tatsuya pulled the boy's attention back before he could get caught up staring at the fiery Kasumi.
"Ah! Yes, sorry!"
"There's no need to apologize."
"Right, sorr— I mean, yes."
"...Never mind. In short, the Bicycle Club made a mountain out of a molehill, and the Robot Research Club took the bait. Is that it?"
"Um, yes. Probably..."
"I see. Well, the situation over there is under control now. You can go, Kento. I'll handle the explanations to the clubs."
The shouting match that had been echoing through the garage had shifted. The club members were no longer the ones arguing; instead, they had fallen silent, watching the new source of tension with bated breath. The air had turned foul—heavy with the scent of gathering mana and a mutual, deep-seated animosity between the two freshmen now facing off: Takuma and Kasumi.
Feeling a distinct, psychological headache at the sight of two juniors causing more trouble than they were supposed to be fixing, Tatsuya signaled for Kento to leave.
"Yes... Thank you very much."
Kento hesitated for a second, feeling guilty about leaving the mess to Tatsuya, but he ultimately bowed and hurried away as instructed.
"Now then..."
Tatsuya turned his gaze toward the two bickering freshmen and let out a long, heavy sigh.
It wasn't that the Club Federation and the Disciplinary Committee had a poor relationship; usually, their jurisdictions were clearly defined. However, both Tatsuya and Miyuki were well aware of the friction between the Shippou and Saegusa families.
Technically, it was a one-sided grudge—Takuma viewed the Saegusas as his ultimate rivals—but it seemed Kasumi had her own "thoughts" regarding the Shippou boy as well.
"Brother, surely this isn't a matter that requires your personal intervention?" Miyuki asked.
"Perhaps not, but I can't exactly leave a classmate to fend for himself."
In front of them, Hagane was desperately trying to soothe the two hot-headed freshmen, but his words were being swallowed by the vacuum of their mutual loathing.
"If they both have something to prove, perhaps it would be best to let them settle it themselves?" Miyuki suggested.
"That would be a disaster. If the Freshman Representative and the third-ranked student start a magical duel here, the collateral damage would be immense. The onlookers might be magic high school students, but the power levels those two possess are far too high for a crowded garage."
"Then you intend to step in, after all?"
"It's for the best. Takuma is a wild card, but once Kasumi calms down, she's usually reasonable enough to listen."
"I suppose... you're right."
Beside Tatsuya, who was shaking his head in weary resignation, Miyuki's expression clouded with a hint of dissatisfaction. To Miyuki, the way Kasumi looked at Tatsuya felt uncomfortably similar to the way Izumi looked at her. It wasn't simple infatuation, but a form of intense respect—though in Kasumi's case, it mirrored the complicated "affection" their older sister Mayumi had once shown Tatsuya.
The only difference was the lack of Mayumi's playful, mischievous edge. To Miyuki, Kasumi's raw sincerity made her a different kind of "threat." She worried that letting Tatsuya handle this would only draw Kasumi closer to him, but she knew that, in this moment, he was the only one who could defuse the bomb.
"The Student Council has no intention of penalizing the Robot Research or Bicycle clubs for this misunderstanding," Tatsuya announced, his voice carrying clearly over the tension. "Since both parties have calmed down, please return to your stations. I will speak with the Federation and the Committee on your behalf; there will be no official marks on your records for today."
First, Tatsuya moved to disperse the club members. Despite being an Engineering Course student, Tatsuya was a celebrity of sorts within the school, and his words carried a strange, undeniable weight.
"And to the rest of you—the show is over. Please disperse. There's nothing more to see here."
While the clubs had been settled with words, Takuma and Kasumi were a different story. The mana around them was still humming, on the verge of manifesting into active spells. To prevent a catastrophe, Tatsuya stepped directly between the two freshmen, effectively relieving the exhausted Hagane.
"The two of you are supposed to be the ones stopping the chaos, not leading the charge," Tatsuya said, his tone flat and authoritative. "If you feel the need to compete, do it through your grades or on the practice field."
"But—! We were the first ones on the scene!" Takuma argued.
"Disputes between students fall under the jurisdiction of the Committee!" Kasumi countered.
"Shippou, stop thinking like a child; 'first come, first served' doesn't apply to school safety. And Kasumi, in the future, do not disrupt a scene that the Federation is already actively resolving. During Recruitment Week, cooperation is more important than jurisdictional pride. Do I make myself clear?"
"...Understood," Takuma muttered, looking away.
"...I'm sorry, Shiba-senpai," Kasumi said, her voice dropping an octave as she sheepishly lowered her head.
"Hagane, I'll leave the rest to you."
"U-Um... right. Thanks, Tatsuya."
Having talked the two freshmen down, Tatsuya left the remaining administrative cleanup to Hagane and began to walk away.
(They really can't stand each other... or perhaps their rivalry exists on a level that's beyond simple 'dislike'.)
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